Bacteriocins and Their Applications in Foods

Bacteriocins are low-molecular-weight antimicrobial peptides synthesized by bacterial cells against other bacteria in the same ecosystem. Bacteriocins can be produced by a range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative and archaea bacteria. Bacteriocins produced by Gram-positive lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are well-explored due to their potential to be employed in food industry as natural biopreservatives. Several bacteriocin-producing LAB have been isolated and studied from various food products such as milk and milk products, fermented foods, and meat products. LAB bacteriocins are of great interest to the food industry due their efficacy against many food spoilage and pathogenic organisms such as Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and Bacillus cereus. Multiple commercial bacteriocin products (Nisaplin®, MicroGARD®) have been approved for application as a food preservative in the United States and other countries in dairy, chocolate confectionary, baked goods, and fruits and vegetables. Bacteriocins could potentially also be utilized in other areas such as animal feeds, organic fertilizers, environmental protection, and personal care products.